Category Archives: Lifestyle

We rose before the sun,Tired eyes, filled mouths,And before the dawn splinteredProstration’s patience began. A day with no food,A day without water,But with the sun’s journeyWas also the soul’s. A physical deprivationBut with spiritual sustenance,As the sounds of recitationFilled the open air. This year was slightly different,Isolated at home,Missing the comforting smiles,The community. Taraweeh at…

The black night’s cloak surrounds,Shadows that eat at my thoughtsOn the lonely dirt roadOf that which I call life. The crickets chirp in the creek,Dancing melodies that escapeWhen you search for them,Yet always exist on the side. The sun never really disappears,Even in the darkest winters,Or the cold nightsWhen it hides behind the earth. But…

COVID-19 does not care about inequity, and neither does society. The COVID-19 outbreak is altering our approach to education. Students are quarantining at home and undergoing virtual instruction through Zoom, all while universities prepare for future decisions, including but not limited to: refunding students for university housing, organizing online summer sessions, easing college admissions requirements,…

Being stuck at home can easily get frustrating. Your days start to bleed together, you raid your pantry every hour, you alternate between your social media apps, and you can’t wait until you can hang out with your friends again. The cons of quarantine can be quite clear, but we must not forget that this…

Chemistry of CommunityThe world is made of atoms,Both individual and packed.A combination of customs,Both tangible and abstract. Communities chemically composed,Elementally individual.But energy stored in bonds-Thermodynamically favorable. Each bond a different length,Yet each a notable factor.Changes based on wavelengthBut still can shape character: Our melting and boiling points,Supportive structural integrity.Our awareness and viewpoints,Solidarity and reactivity. It’s…

Night descends upon the world’s horizon And the moon’s face gleams. A matter of time before the sun’s rising But darkness tears at the seams. And the needle’s eye seems so small, Blind to sanity’s thin thread. An apocalyptic protocol, A frayed knot’s far spread. The fabric of reality is flexible, Perspective the vehicle of…

The Name is quite a quandary, Constantly collecting curators. An identifier oft identified incorrectly, Ourselves the biggest perpetrators. “Hi, my name is Amal,” I said, “Just like a shopping mall.” Though reality disagreed within, I swayed to society’s call. For a year wandering lost, Unfamiliar and alone, Scraping by and trailing exhaust, Too willing to…

I remember walking inside the empty Pauley Pavilion for the first time. Visualizing the arena’s aesthetics, the baby blue Pac 12 logo inside the three-point line on either side, the famous UCLA logo on center court and all the retired jerseys that hanged above the arena’s seating. There was one jersey that stood out to…

When I planned a trip to the Disney Parks in Asia for spring break, I was ecstatic. I’ve been a Disney fan since I was a little kid, and going to Tokyo Disney Resort has been my dream for so long. The day after finals were over (for me, March 12th), I hopped on an…

As the end of the quarter creeps closer and closer, the pressure to do well and finish the quarter strong increases. We all may have different motives that encourage us to do the best we possibly can on our upcoming exams, but a common one within our community is the pressure from our beloved parents.…